Midori's mother, Setsu Goto, began teaching her daughter the violin at age three. When she was 11 Zubin Mehta invited her to be guest soloist with the New York Philharmonic at its New Year's Eve concert. After the appearance, her career took off. She has received many honors including the Suntory Hall Award in her native Japan, and the National Arts Award from Americans for the Arts, in her adopted country. She has performed with most of the world's major symphony orchestras and with music's biggest names: Yo Yo Ma, Leonard Bernstein, Isaac Stern, among others. She started a foundation, Midori & Friends, to provide musical education and concerts to children in the United States and Japan. Midori completed a bachelor's degree in psychology and gender studies from New York University and earned a masters in psychology in 2005. Her younger brother, Ryu Goto, born in 1988, is also a violinist.